Blowin' Smoke

Candymouse22: Thank you so much. Your reviews are always so helpful and encouraging and I'm glad you are enjoying. :)

Guest (1): I'm glad you enjoyed! Thank you so much for taking the time to review they mean so much.

Amanda (Guest): First of all, thank you so so much! Your review made my day; I'm glad you liked it! I'm really enjoying writing Ponyboy/Steve bond so I'm glad it's coming out nicely. And second of all, reading your review, I got really sad that I was farther behind than what I thought. And then I realized I hadn't posted this chapter yet! You guessed everything I had planned lol.

Guest (2): Thank you so much for taking the time to review. I'm glad Steve's back too. :)

CHAPTER 15

Third Person POV (End of April)

Bang!

Gunshots and explosions are the sounds that follow me. I can hear bullets quizzing passed my ears and I hear the screams of my fellow soldiers as they get hit in different locations around me. The smell of blood surrounds me and I think it might be in my imagination, but it feels so real.

Trying to focus, I do my best aim my gun towards a Vietnamese, closing my eyes before I shoot.

I don't look back to that area for the rest of the battle. I don't want to see whether or not I hit him.

My heart pounds in my ears, but it's not loud enough to drown out the moans of pain that sicken me to the core. All I can think of is that this is Hell. Complete and literal Hell. If there wasn't so much adrenaline pumping to keep me going, I think I would have been sick.

"Get it together, Private Randle!" A voice yells behind me, most likely being my captain, angry that I hadn't taken in a little while. I put my gun back up before aiming and pulling the trigger.

A command is shouted for us to move forward. Quickly, I run from my previous location to my new one, behind a nearby pile of earth closer to the Gooks. Close enough to hear them talking.

I'm now next to my friend, Edward, who is one of my best buddies around here.

He doesn't look at me. He's too busy trying to figure out what the heck we are doing. It's been taking him longer to get used to the violence than it has for me.

The next few moments pass in what seems like slow motion, but not slow enough to stop what happens next. Edward pops his head from behind the safety of the earth, aiming his rifle towards a group Vietnamese men who are hiding behind a few thick trees.

Before his finger pulled the trigger, another Gook towards the right aimed his gun and Edward and pulled the trigger before he got to. The bullet entered his forehead with a quick, sharp whizzing noise as it blew past me and he slumped over, dead in an instant. Just like that. Over. The only friend I had known in this God-forsaken place was gone to this pointless war...

"Steve!" Ponyboy shook him awake, quickly making sushing noises to keep him quiet and to calm him down. "Your safe. It's okay. Your alright."

Steve jumped awake, but Ponyboy's soothing kept him from crying out and waking up anyone else. He gasped, breathing heavily.

"Sorry. I just didn't think you would want anyone to know," Ponybly mumbled quietly, feeling slightly awkward at the situation he was put in. All he wanted was some water to soothe his own nightmares. He didn't expect to deal with Steve at two in the morning.

"Yeah. I get it. Thanks, kid," even through Steve's shaking voice, Ponyboy could hear the gratitude. Steve didn't want anyone to see him like this.

"Are you okay?"

"Not really," Steve admitted honestly. It was weird to be back in Oklahoma, back to not having to sleep with one eye open or worry about Gooks attacking. In the hospital it had been easier for Steve, he had been on pain medicine that relaxed him and made it easier to sleep, but not anymore. He was left to deal with his demons.

"It's not gonna be easy right away, you know," Ponyboy tried to comfort, but Steve suddenly got angry.

"What do you know, kid?"

Ponyboy didn't want to admit it, but he was hurt and slightly shocked. Still, however, he kept his composure. "You're talking to the king of nightmares, Steve. I'm just trying to help."

Steve felt slightly bad; he hadn't meant to loose his temper. However, he didn't apologize. He wasn't going to apologize to the kid.

Ponyboy continued, unfazed, "I still see my parents, you know. The memories won't change. But you'll learn how to deal with them as time goes on. Give it time, Steve, but don't shut us out. 'Specially not Sodapop. We all care 'bout ya."

Steve nodded, taking in the kid's words. He wasn't sure what to say, his newfound relationship with Ponyboy made him uncomfortable, but he appreciated being able to talk to someone who understood.

"You dig okay," Steve commented after a moment. Ponyboy didn't say anything back. He stood up and padded towards the kitchen before returning with a glass of water for Steve.

"Thank you, kid."

He wasn't just thanking him for the water; he was thanking him for everything and Ponyboy knew it.

"Anytime, Steve-o. Now get some sleep. Bags ain't your look, and you gotta have something to balance out that haircut," Ponyboy shuddered dramatically, pretending to be disgusted with Steve, causing the eighteen year old to laugh.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, just keep sassing," Steve warned as Ponyboy started to walk out, but he could hear the younger boy laughing lightly. He took a few sips of his water and after a minute he closed his eyes, not feeling perfect, but feeling slightly better than before. The mature words the younger teenager has bestowed upon to Steve swirled thoughtfully in his head until he fell into a light slumber.

A/N: This story is set to conclude at somewhere between 19-21 chapters, but it will probably be closer to 19, unless someone sends in a request that gives it an extra chapter. Does anyone have any requests for a new story?

Stay Gold,

- Alee XxX